Religion goes green in Taiwan pollution battle

This photo taken on April 14, 2016 shows a man putting incense into an urn at Lung Shan Temple in Taipei. The potential damage to the environment and to the health of devotees from staggering levels of dangerous particles in the air is leading some temples and festivals to seek alternative -- if less spectacular -- practices, despite resistance from worshippers. / AFP PHOTO / SAM YEH / TO GO WITH AFP STORY BY Amber Wang

TAIPEI: Smoke billows daily from temples across Taiwan as visitors burn incense and paper money to bring luck and prosperity -- but that familiar fragrant haze could be a thing of the past as concerns grow over ritual pollutants.

The potential damage to the environment and to the health of devotees from staggering levels of dangerous particles in the air is leading some temples and festivals to seek alternative -- if less spectacular -- practices, despite resistance from worshippers. Famous temples such as the Taoist Nan Yao in central Changhua city -- one of the island’s largest and oldest temples -- are playing firecracker CDs instead of launching the real thing, as well as encouraging followers to clap hands to create smoke-free noise.